Feed mechanism for automatic lathes.



A. H. SMITH. FEED MEGHANISM FOB. AUTOMATO LATHES.

APPLICATION FILED 00T. 6, 1911.

Patented Mar. 5,1912.

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coLUMmA FLANDURAPH C0., WASHINGTON. D. C.

' A. H. SMITH.

FEED MEGHANISM Pon AUTOMATIC LATHEs.

Patented Mar. 5, 1912.

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INVENTOR WITNESSESv A. ILSMITH, FEED MECHANISM POR AUTOMATIC LATHBS.

APPLICATION FILED 00T. 6, 1911.

Patented Mar. 5, 1912.

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WITNESSES CoLUMBlA PLANOGRAPM co.. wAsHlNa'roN, D. c.

uivrr ALBERT HENRY SMITH, OF BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND.

FEED MECHANISM FOR AUTOMATIC LATI-IES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 5, 1912.

Application led October 6, 1911. Serial No. 653,264.

more etlicient automatic and positive feed mechanism for feeding forward the stock upon which the work is performed.

The improved mechanism comprises a sliding rod or bar, connected through the medium of a pawl or other one-way clutch connection with a sliding carrier which holdsl and feeds forward the stock, and normally held in a withdrawn position by a catch device which is released, when the chuck is unlocked, by a suitable moving part which operates said clutch, the rod being then moved forward by a spring' or otherwise so Vas to operate and take forward the stock carrier and the stock, the sliding feed rod being then connected, when the chuck is locked, with a screw or worm gear bywhich it is returned to its normal position.

Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings represents a longitudinal section through a stock-feed mechanism fora capstan or turret lathe constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a plan. Fig. 3 is a cross-section through the stock carrier taken on line ai, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 represents a crosssection on line m1, Fig. 1, showing in elevation the worm-gear for returning the feedrod to its normal position after the stock has been fed forward. and also the catch lever for engaging with and retaining the saidl feed-rod. Fig. 5 is a similar viewA to Fig. 4, but omitting the worm gear in order to show more clearly the shape of thenlower part of the rocker plate carrying the worm gear and how the catch lever can engage with said plate. Fig. 6 is the same as Fig. 5, but represents how the catch lever is operated so as to release the feed-rod. Fig. 7 illus trates a horizontal section with the parts in the positions they assume when the chuck is unlocked and the feed has taken place. Fig. 8 is a similar view, but shows the normal position of the parts when the chuck is locked. Fig. 9 represents a cross-section alike unto Fig. 4, but with the worm disengaged from the feed-rod. Fig. 10 shows a horizontal section with theworm in engagement with the feed-rod for returning same to its normal position.

Carried by the head 1V of the lathe is a longitudinal tube 2 within whose interior is a sliding rod or bar 3 upon whose outer end bears a coiled compression spring 4 which tends to move the rod forward. Upon the underside of the rod 3 is a series of ratchet teeth 5 engaged by a pawl 6, extending through a slot 7 in the tube 2, and mounted upon a slide 8 surrounding said tube. This slide 8 bears a carrier 9 which grips and holds the stock 10 by means of the screws 11. Normally the rod 3 is held in a withdrawn position, with the spring 4 cornpressed, by a catch-lever 12 acted upon by a spring 44 and whose edge engages with a notch 13 near the forward end of the rod, as shown in Figs. 4, 5, and 8. This said forward end is cut away on one side to a concave form, and this concave surface is cut with a part of a screwthread, as at 14, giving a rackdke formation. This screwed part of the'rodl is adapted to be engaged by a worm 15 for the purpose of returning the said rod-to its original position after the feed has been effected, as hereinafter described. This worm 15 is connected with a worm wheel 16, mounted upon the same spindle 17, and gearing with a worm 18. This worm 18 is upon the same vertical spindle 19 as another worm wheel 20 which gears with a worm 21 upon the main driving spindle 22. The spindle 17, with the worm 15 and worm gearing 16, 18, and 19, is carried upon a rocker plate 23 loosely mounted upon the said mainspindle 22. A spring 24 acts upon the rocker plate so as to tend to take the worm 15 into engagement with the rack or wormed part 14 of the rod 3. Said worm is normally held out of mesh with the said rod by the spring 44 causing the nose end 42 of the lever 12 to engage with a cam part 43 of the rocker 23 so as to swing the latter aside as shown in Figs. 4 and 5.

The chuck forvholding the stock 10, may be of any suitable type. In the form shown it comprises a sleeve 25, arranged within the hollow spindle 22, and provided with a split coned end 26 which engages with the internally coned forward end 27 of the spindle. On the rear end of the latter are inclines 28 which coperatewith similar inclines on a collar 29provided with pins 30.

These pins engage with slots 31 in a sliding sleeve 32 adapted to be operated by a fork 33 carried upon a boss or slide 34 mounted upon the outside of the tube 2. The sleeve 32 is adapted to be moved in either direction by a lever 35 fulcrumed at 36. Vhen moved in the one direction the slots 31 cause the collar 29 to turn and, by reason of the coacting inclines, to move longitudinally, this movement being transmitted to the sleeve 25 through a ball-thrust bearing 37, thereby causing the said sleeve to be moved rearward and its forward end 26 to contract, by its coperation with the cone 27, around the stock 10, thus securely holding the latter. Movement of the slide 34 in the reverse direction allows the end 26 to expand and release the stock. The slide 34 carries at one side a longitudinally arranged rod 38 working in a hole in the end of the head 1, and having a beveled end 39. At the opposite side of the said slide 34 is carried a rod 40. When the slide 34 is moved vin a forward direction by the lever 35 in order to release the chuck, the end 39 of the rod 38 engages with the lower edge of the catch lever 12 and tilts the latter so as to disengage itself from the notch 13 in the feed-rod, whereupon the latter is pushed forward by its spring 4`, taking with it, through the medium of the pawl 6, the sliding stock carrier 9, thus feeding forward the stock 10 to the desired extent. During this period the worm 15 is held clear of the rod 3 by the rod 40 engaging in a recess 41 in the rocker 23, which is thus locked. When the lever 35 is moved back so as to lock the clutch after the stock has been thus fed forward, the rod 40 is disengaged from the rocker 23, and the rod 38 withdrawn from engagement with the lever 12, whereupon the rocker is returned to its original posit-ion by the spring 24, and the worm 15 engaged with the rack 14 of the feed-rod, as shown in Figs. 4 and 10. The worm thereby causes the said rod to be traversed rearward and returned to its original position, when the end of the rack leaves the worm and the notch 13 is again engaged by the catch 12, which, engaging with the part 43 of the rocker 23, swings the latter into the position in Fig. 5. The operations are then repeated when the chuck is again actuated. During the return movement of the rod 3 the ratchet teeth 5 simply ride idly over the pawl 6, and the carrier 9 may be prevented from returning by a reverse pawl engaging with teeth or a roughened surface upon the outside of the tube 2.

To form a stop to limit the amount of the feed the end of the bar 3 carries a rod 45 freely working through a hole in the closure plug 46 of the tube 2, and provided with a stop nut 47, which, at the end of the feed, engages with the said plug 46. The rod 45 the stock; a device for retaining the feedbar in a withdrawn position; means for releasing the retaining device when the chuck is unlocked; to permit the feed-bar to be moved forward for feeding the stock; and p a screw gear adapted for engagement with the feed-bar, to return the saine to its normal position.

2. Feed mechanism for automatic lathes comprising a slidable stock carrier; a longitudinally movable feed-bar; a one-way clutch connecting said feed-bar with said carrier; a coiled compression spring acting upon the adjacent end of the feed-bar to move the latter in a forward direction; a chuck for holding the stock, a catch device for retaining the feed-bar in a withdrawn position; means for releasing the catch device when the chuck is unlocked, to permit the feed-bar to be moved forward for feeding the stock; and a screw gear adapted for engagement with the feed-bar when the chuck is unlocked, to return said feed-bar to its normal position.

3. Feed-inechanism for automatic lathes comprising a slidable stock carrier; a longitudinally movable feed-bar; a one-way clutch connecting said feed-bar with said carrier; a spring for moving forward the feed-bar; a chuck for holding the stock; a.

catch device for retaining the feed-bar in a withdrawn position; a movable part for locking and unlocking the chuck; means operated by said movable part for operating the catch device, to release the same by the operation of unlocking the chuck, for permitting the feed-bar to be moved forward for feeding the stock; and a screw gear adapted for engagement with the feed-bar to return the same to its normal position.

4. Feed mechanism for automatic lathes comprising a slidable stock carrier; a longitudinally-movable feed-bar; a one-way clutch connecting the feed-bar with said carrier, said feed-bar having a worm-rack cut at one end; a main spindle; a worm driven from said spindle and adapted to engage with the said rack; a rocker carrying the said worm; a spring for moving forward the feed-bar; a chuck for holding the stock; a catch device for retaining the feedbar in a withdrawn positlon; means for releasing the catch device by the unlocking of the ohuol; means for tilting the rocker when the catch device is released to disengage said worm from said feed-bar for per mitting the latter to loe moved forward for feeding the stock; and means for returning said rocker to its former position, when the chuck is looked, to rengage said worm with the feed-bar, to return said feed-bar to its normal position.

5. Feed mechanism for automatic lathes Comprising a slidalole stock Carrier; a longitudinally-movable feed-bar; a one-way Clutch Connecting the feed-bar with the said Carrier, said feed-bar having a worm-rack out at one end; a main spindle; a worm driven from said spindle and adapted to engage with the said rack; a rocker carrying the said worm; a spring for moving, forward the feed-bar; a chuck for holding the stock; a lever catch for retaining the feedbar in a withdrawn position and having a nose end engaging with the said rocker; a sliding part for locking and unlocking the chuck; a rod carried by the sliding part and adapted, when the chuck is unlocked, to engage with the catch lever to disengage the same from the eed-bar and cause its nose end to tilt the rocker, for disengaging the worm from the feed-bar; means carried by the chuck-operating slide for locking the rocker in this position; and means for returning said rocker to its former position when the chuck is looked, to rengage said worm with the feed-bar, to return said feedlsar to its normal position.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALBERT HENRY SMITH Witnesses:

HENRY SKERRETT, HENRY NORTON Siinnkn'rr.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents Washington, D. C. 

